Reality Quest: Lookism

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(Sunday, November 5, 2020 – 1:44 PM)

The inmate exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders as his eye locked onto Jin, while his fingers tightened around the steel chains, the metal links clinked softly in the silence of the ruined hallway. Then, with a voice rough from years of violence, he finally spoke.

"Han Seojin."

The moment his name left his lips, he moved.

Han exploded forward, his Speed Mastery activating in full force. His body became a blur with his chains snapping outward, whipping through the air in deadly arcs. The sheer velocity of his strikes cut through the dust still lingering in the air, leaving faint blue streaks where the metal had sliced through.

Jin, however, remained composed. His body flowed between the attacks, his footwork weaving effortlessly through the gaps in Han's assault. His face was neutral but relaxed, as if the fight had yet to reach the level where he needed to take it seriously.

A chain whistled toward his ribs, but Jin merely shifted his weight with his body tilting just enough to let it skim past him. Another came from above, aiming to wrap around his neck, but Jin ducked low.

To Han, it was frustrating. No wasted movements. No tension. Just pure experience.

And then, Jin struck.

His arms blurred.

Before Han could react, a storm of fists crashed into his body.

Each punch landed with a deep, crushing impact, the force traveling through his ribs, his arms, his stomach. The sheer speed of Jin's blows left imprints on his skin before his nerves even registered the pain.

Han gritted his teeth, trying to guard, but it was pointless. His attempts to block only resulted in his forearms numbing, the force behind Jin's fists too much to absorb cleanly.

His face twisted in pain with muscles tensing under the relentless onslaught. His stance began to break, his body recoiling with every hit, his mind struggling to process the overwhelming speed and power pressing down on him.

Then, Jin's left hand shot forward with his fingers clamping around Han's face.

Before Han could even think to counter, Jin drove him downward.

BOOM!

The concrete beneath them cracked violently as Han's head slammed into the ground as debris scattered outward from the impact.

Jin's grip remained firm, pinning Han down as he leaned over him.

"You're still not at my level."

Then, he raised his fist.

And brought it down.

Again.

And again.

Each strike dug Han further into the broken floor, his body jerking with every thunderous impact. His consciousness flickered, his vision blurring, his eye barely registering the blows anymore. His arms twitched, but they refused to respond, his body too battered to fight back.

Finally, Jin exhaled, the tension in his shoulders releasing as he pushed himself upright. He glanced down at Han, whose hazy, unfocused eye barely managed to track him.

Jin snorted softly, brushing the dust from his uniform before turning on his heel.

Without another word, he walked away. The fight was over. Han was strong, but Jin had already moved beyond his level.

(1:49 PM)

The broken concrete shifted as Han Seojin pushed himself up with his muscles screaming in protest. Blood dripped from his split lip, and his vision swam, but his mind was clearer than ever.

His left eye burned with conviction, while his scarred, gray eye remained lifeless, a permanent reminder of the battles he had already endured.

He wrapped the steel chains tightly around his arms and fists, the metal links rattling as they coiled around his skin. His fingers clenched into fists, and despite his injuries, he moved.

Fast.

He appeared above Jin in a moment with his body twisting mid-air.

With all the strength he could muster, he swung his chained fist downward, aiming to smash Jin straight into the floor.

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents!"

His shout echoed through the ruined hallway as his fist descended like a meteor.

CLANG!

The impact never reached Jin's skull.

Instead, it met iron.

Jin stood firm, his body was completely still with one hand casually gripping a short iron table leg with its surface slightly dented from the sheer force of Han's punch.

His Booster aura had faded, but his eyes with a cold, piercing gaze, locked onto Han's singular working eye.

Then, he spoke.

"I never underestimate my opponents."

His grip tightened around the metal.

"This is why I armed myself."

With one powerful motion, he shoved Han backward, forcing him to regain his footing.

Jin didn't stop.

He casually reached down, grabbing another broken table leg from the wreckage.

The two iron rods fit perfectly in his hands with his fingers wrapping around them like they belonged there.

His stance shifted.

His movements became sharper, more fluid.

And then-

[Upgraded Weapon Mastery Activated.]

---

[Weapon Mastery – Upgraded]

Your ability to wield weapons has significantly improved.

Increased precision and adaptability with any weapon.

Damage output is boosted by 30% when using improvised or advanced weapons.

Can now identify weak points in enemy defenses with any weapon.

---

Jin exhaled slowly, feeling the shift in his body.

This was the weapon mastery that had evolved after breaking Goo Kim's glasses, the system had rewarded him for surpassing his wall.

Now, for the first time since the upgrade, he was truly curious to see just how far it had come.

His grip on the makeshift tonfas tightened, the cold steel resting against his forearms as he adjusted his stance.

The air around him changed.

It was no longer casual. Jin's aura became heavier.

Serious.

Han, still catching his breath, felt the shift instantly.

His muscles tensed. His instincts screamed at him.

This was different.

This wasn't the same Jin who had toyed with him moments ago.

This was someone who had just decided to end the fight.

(1:51 PM)

Han moved like a ghost as his body flickered between steps, his fists snapping forward with brutal weight. The chains wrapped around his arms clattered with each motion, turning his attacks into a blur of metal and raw force.

Yet, nothing landed.

Jin stood firm, his body barely shifting as his arms moved like they were on an invisible thread, always exactly where they needed to be. Each strike Han threw was parried with efficiency, every attack was redirected at the last second, making him stumble forward as if he had thrown himself off balance.

'Where's the opening?' Han's thoughts raced as his feet barely touched the cracked floor before pushing off again, circling Jin like a predator searching for weakness.

His Speed Mastery burned in his veins, his body moving faster than most inmates could comprehend. But Jin… Jin was different.

Those cold, piercing eyes tracked him through every step, every feint, every attempt to slip past his guard. Not once did Jin flinch.

'He's reading me.'

Han gritted his teeth, frustration burning through the pain in his ribs. His left foot barely skimmed the ground before he lunged forward, twisting mid-air to bring his chained fist down like a hammer.

Jin leaned back effortlessly.

The whip-crack of the chain hitting empty air sent a gust of wind through the ruined hallway. Han landed, already spinning into another strike. His right fist shot forward, aiming for Jin's temple.

A tonfa met his knuckles.

The impact sent a violent tremor through his arm and pain shot up to his shoulder as Jin twisted his wrist, forcing Han's momentum against him.

Before Han could adjust, a tonfa smashed into his ribs.

CRACK!

His vision blurred. The world tilted as he was sent skidding backward his boots scrapped against the debris-covered floor. He barely had time to recover before-

BOOM!

Jin was already on him.

A second blow, sharper and heavier than the last, drilled into his gut. Han's body folded inward with the force lifting him off the ground for a split second.

'I can't keep up.'

His mind screamed at him to move, but Jin didn't allow it.

A tonfa slammed into his shoulder, driving him sideways into the wall. The impact sent cracks through the concrete as Han gasped with pain blooming through his arm like fire.

'No! I need to strike back!'

With a desperate roar, he swung his chain in a wide arc, hoping to catch Jin off guard.

It never reached.

Jin's tonfa hooked the chain mid-motion, yanking it downward with a precise flick of his wrist. Han's balance was ruined.

Jin's knee met his jaw, then Han head snapped backward. Teeth cracked and blood sprayed.

His consciousness wavered while his body sagged.

'He is a monster just like...'

Before he hit the floor, Jin had already turned away.

The iron legs clattered against the ground, abandoned like a blade that had outlived its purpose. Jin walked down the hall with his hands sliding back into his pockets, not even bothering to check if Han was still breathing.

Han collapsed and Darkness followed.

----

Did he aura farm well? Maybe we should book him a lesson from Piccolo 🤔.

Info about Jin perspective:

When Weapon Mastery activates, Jin sees blue beforeimages of his opponent's future movements, but more importantly, he sees faint blue lines extending forward, predicting their next attacks with certainty.

Every strike, every weapon swing, every shift in stance is mapped out before it happens. He knows and sees where to block, where to counter, and where to strike for maximum damage.

This is why Jin doesn't waste movement. He doesn't react, he already knows thus allowing him to easily keep up without booster.

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